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Thursday, November 30, 2017

Surge Guard announced on November 27, 2017, that all Surge Guard RV Electrical Protection products* now include a Lifetime Warranty. This
Lifetime Warranty also includes additional Connected Equipment Coverage – an industry
exclusive. The new Surge Guard warranty is the most comprehensive
warranty of any other electrical protection system on the market, including
Progressive Industries. This Lifetime Warranty not only covers your unit to be
free of defects in materials and workmanship, but in the event the unit fails, and
damage occurs to any connected equipment, then Surge Guard will cover the cost
of that as well. The Surge Guard Electrical Protection Systems not only have
the highest level of protection for your RV, but are also the only units on the
market to include a patented overheating plug protection. Melted and charred plugs are common problems when
using RV surge protectors, and when this damage occurs, it is not covered in
most warranties. Simply put, Surge Guard
systems are the most advanced electrical protection products on the market with
the best warranty.

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

The Rand McNally OverDryve 7 RV is the Cadillac of all RV GPS units, and
sells for only $399.99. Customers have been asking if any of our GPS units have
voice controls, and now the answer is “YES!” The new OverDryve has all the
features of the Tablet 70, including the award winning navigation, live
traffic, weather, and fuel prices, free lifetime maps, Tripmaker, Rand McNally
Road Atlas, built in dash camera, magnetic mount with GPS boost, and all built
on an Android tablet. The magnetic mount not only has a GPS boost but with the
OverDryve it comes with a 3 watt speaker built into the mount and also a FM
transmitter that will allow you to run the volume through the RV or truck’s
radio system. The OverDryve is a 7 inch Android Tablet so you can connect to
WiFi and check email, watch a movie, and download plenty of Apps from the
Amazon App Store. In addition, the OverDryve utilizes hands-free Bluetooth to
allow you to wirelessly connect your smart phone to the OverDryve GPS and see
phone calls and text messages right on the screen. You can respond to text and
answer phone calls with voice command. This unit has it all, and is a complete
home run for TechnoRV.

Lastly, we also have the TechnoRV Learning
Series for the new OverDryve GPS, and all for $399.99. I cant resist sharing:-
Camping World is selling these for $499.99 regularly and on sale for $449.99,
and they offer no support. This is not the MSRP from Rand; they are marking the
MSRP up so they can discount it, and then still sell it at higher than MSRP.

The Rand McNally RV Tablet 70 is the next level RV GPS and sells for only
$299.99. Last year’s Tablet model sold for $499.99! So you can see that Rand
McNally is dedicated to getting these to customers at a lower price point. The
Tablet has all of the functionality of a Rand McNally GPS, and it all comes in
a 7 inch Android Tablet. This model is WiFi enabled so you can get live weather
overlays, fuel prices on your route, and live traffic. The screen is a true
tablet screen so the responsiveness to touching it is very nice. This unit also
comes with a built in dash camera. All you do is tell the unit to turn on the
dash camera and it works in the background to record your trip. The dash camera
is built in to the back of the GPS unit so as long as it is positioned
appropriately you will get a nice video of your trip. The Tablet 70 also comes
with the Rand McNally Road Atlas, so no more carrying around the big Atlas book.
You can plan your trips with the popular Rand McNally Trip Maker app that is
built into this unit as well. You just create a trip right on the Tablet 70 and
then load it into navigation. The Tablet 70 mount is magnetic, so it is very
easy to pop the tablet off and pop it back on. The magnetic mount also has a
GPS boost in it to make sure you are getting maximum GPS signal. The magnetic
mount is one of my favorite features. Because the Tablet 70 is a true tablet,
you can stream music, check emails, and download plenty of apps from the Amazon
app store. (This unit does not download apps from the Google Play store.) The
Tablet 70 also has a video input so you can connect a back-up camera to it if
you want to. The Rand McNally RV Tablet 70is a winner, and for $299.99 it is an incredible
value. Remember, last year’s tablet model was $499.99, so getting into a GPS
Tablet just got a lot less expensive, and you get all of the same great feature
and more.

Don’t forget, this unit comes with the TechnoRV Learning Series
and Support. Also, I see Camping World is selling these for $349.99 and has
them on sale for $319.99. That doesn’t seem like a sale to me when we have them
for $299.99.

The Rand McNally RVND 7 is considered the base model, but with
all of its features it is hard to consider this as anything other than a
complete RV GPS system. The price is amazing and you get all of the award
winning GPS functions from Rand McNally and all of the points of interest. This
unit comes with a 7 inch screen and a nice windshield mount that allows you to
pop the unit on and off of the mount very easily. The unit is thinner than the
previous 7730/7735 model and has the feel of a tablet. You will get a 12 volt
power supply and a USB cable that can be used for updates. This system includes
free lifetime map updates. There are several features I really like about this
unit; first, the touch screen is very responsive. I noticed that previous
models were not as responsive, but this one is very easy to navigate. It
includes a stylus as well. I love the new mount, as the screen basically sits
in the mount and when you need it you pop it out of the mount, and then you
just pop it back in. The battery life in this unit is better than previous
models. Keep in mind, this GPS is designed to be used while plugged into power,
but if you take it off of power you can expect to get about 45 minutes to an
hour out of a full battery. This is plenty of time to make route adjustments,
and then get it back on power. The price is ridiculously good at $199.99. I
spoke to my Rand McNally Representative, and they told me that they made lower
pricing a priority, while still packing in all of the features and quality of
the unit. Resellers make less money on the new units than they did on previous
years models, so I presume that is where some of the price decrease came from,
and I am okay with that.

My overall impression of this model is very favorable. I believe
that anyone that has considered getting a RV GPS in the past will for sure pull
the trigger on this one considering the features and price. Even those with
smaller travel trailers can now enjoy a RV GPS without the heartburn of a
higher price.

Rand McNally has developed GPS units that are specifically
designed for RVers. This means that you will enter your RVs information into
the GPS, such as height, weight, number of propane tanks, and more, and then
the GPS will route you accordingly. So when you have a true RV GPS then you do
not have to worry about being routed on a road with low bridges or through a
tunnel that does not allow propane. This is peace of mind while you are
driving. The other great feature of an RV GPS is all of the points of interest
that are designed for RVers. These include RV campgrounds, RV services, parking
areas such as Walmarts, travel centers, and much more. So whether you are in a
45-foot class A or you are towing a teardrop travel trailer, you will enjoy the
millions of points of interest made for RV’s. The GPS unit can also be easily
placed into “Car” mode so you can also use the GPS in your tow vehicle or truck
when you are not RVing. When the unit is in car mode it routes you as a regular
car and not as a RV. There are also regular points of interest including gas
stations, restaurants, airports, hotels, hospitals, coffee shops, ferries, golf
courses, churches, schools, libraries, rental cars, military bases, post
offices, and much more. Simply put, having a Rand McNally GPS from TechnoRV
will make your trips safer and more convenient.

There are no losers in
the new Rand McNally line up. When you purchase your new Rand McNally from
TechnoRV.com you will receive the Learning Series with easy to follow
instructions and lots of videos to make sure you are successful. This learning
series is only available when you purchase from TechnoRV.com.

Rand McNally has presented award winning RV GPS units for many
years - the latest model being the 7730/7735. The 7730/7735 are great units and
have served many of you very well. Over the past several years, they added a
tablet GPS model called the Tablet 80. This was intended to be an upgraded
model to the 7730/7735 and included all of the great navigation of the
7730/7735 into an Android tablet. The Tablet 80 included a built in dash cam
and all the functionality of a true Android tablet. As of August 2017, the
7730/7735 and the Tablet 80 are out, and a new line of products have just been
introduced. TechnoRV has received several test units and is very pleased with
the new units. TechnoRV has already made open box videos, and lots of
instructional videos for all of the new units. These instructional videos are
sent to you when you purchase your new unit from TechnoRV.com, and the
instructions are not available if purchased elsewhere. This Learning Series is
part of what makes TechnoRV a leader in customer service and support.
TechnoRV’s first impressions are that Rand McNally has hit a home run with all
3 of the new models. And guess what!? The prices for the new models have been
lowered so the new models are actually less expensive than last years models, and
they are packed with more features. Check out the new Rand McNally units at
TechnoRV.com.

Sunday, September 3, 2017

It is interesting that the more complicated electronics get, the less instructions that come with them. We have dedicated ourselves to resolving this problem on the products that we sell. For most of our products we write our own instructions that usually include an easy to understand written document with lots of pictures, and we even include videos. Tami and I both used to be in training and education as she was a teacher and eventually a curriculum writer, and I had a training department as a HR Director. The TechnoRV Learning Series is reserved only for products that are purchased at TechnoRV.com. We also employ a dedicated person that is trained in all of our products, so if you ever have any questions about a product that you purchased from us, we can either answer it or quickly get you to someone who can. With so much competition, we believe the Learning Series and our support is our edge in today’s business environment. We get calls almost every day from people that have purchased products from Amazon and Camping World and do not know how to use them and need assistance. Of course we politely explain to them the advantages of buying from TechnoRV, and refer them back to who they purchased the product from as we cannot take time from you, our customers, to assist Amazon and Camping World’s customers.

We have received several calls from customers asking exactly what the Berkey Water Filter removes from the water. In addition to providing delicious water wherever we travel, the Berkey also eliminates bacteria, heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, viruses, and more.

The Berkey Water Filter removes 99.9% to 99.9999 % of the following:

Viruses

Pathogenic Bacteria such as E. Coli, Giardia, Cryptosporidium, and more

Chlorine

Pesticides

Sediment

Detergents

Heavy Metals

Pharmaceuticals such as Acetaminophen, Caffeine, Ibuprofen, Naproxen Sodium, Progesterone, and more

Petroleum Contaminants such as Gasoline, Diesel, Crude Oil, Kerosene, and more

Fluoride (with the use of additional fluoride filters)

This is just a small portion of what the Berkey removes from water; we can’t even pronounce most contaminants on the list! Now, if you are like us, we never even considered what was in our water before we began using a Berkey filter. Unless it smelled or tasted bad, we were fine with the quality. We never even considered fluoride as a problem; it’s in toothpaste, right? How bad could it be? (Now we understand why there is a fluoride warning on toothpaste.) The mere fact researchers report the ability to filter these contaminants tells us they could be present in our water to begin with – how scary is that?

In addition to its ability to remove more contaminants than any other water filter, the Berkey Water Filter is gravity fed and doesn’t use any electricity which is great for boondockers. Its portability also allows RVers to use it both at home and on the road with no problem. One of its best features is there is no need to purchase replacement filters every month. The Black Berkey charcoal filters can filter over 6,000 gallons of water without needing to be replaced. That is over 10 years of filtering if you drink 10 gallons per day!

If you are considering a water filter for your home or RV, we encourage you to research the Berkey Water Filters. They are simply incredible. There is a reason the Red Cross, Unicef, and the Peace Corps uses it to filter water when in disaster relief locations. It can easily transform polluted pond water into clean drinking water. Can your water filter do that?

It has not been too many years ago that the top amenities in an RV park were things like swimming pools and horseshoes. If a park could provide a little entertainment along the way like Taco Tuesday and Flip Flop Friday then we were really happy. Things have changed a bit over the years, and now the number one amenity in RV parks across America is free Wi-Fi. Actually, free is not even enough; we want free and reliable Wi-Fi! Forget Taco Tuesday and the swimming pool; give me some internet and I will entertain myself. While most people RV to get away from the stresses of life, we still want to stay connected to society with the internet. Whether it is shopping online, checking emails, or checking the news, we want to stay connected the way we want to stay connected. Within the last few years, there has been a surge in the ability to watch TV and movies on the internet; this is called streaming. You can now watch live TV or old movies just by going to the internet. The problem with this is that it takes a lot more access to the internet to stream a movie than it does to check an email. So, right when the RV parks thought they were doing good to give us enough internet to check email, now we want more so we can stream movies on Netflix. There is a big disconnect right now between what we want as the end user and what the RVparks think is reasonable for them to provide. In the meantime, we have to take the necessary actions to improve our experience.

The park is responsible for the amount of internet that they provide; this is otherwise known as bandwidth. Bandwidth is purchased by the parks and distributed to the RVers. Without getting too complicated, let’s pretend that bandwidth is pizza, and the RV park is having a pizza party. Now let’s say the RV park brought enough pizza for 20 people, but 30 people showed up for the party. Everyone may get some pizza, but no one will get enough. This is similar to how bandwidth distribution may work at a RV park. If they did not buy a big enough pipeline of bandwidth to feed the park internet, then the end user may struggle. So the technical definition of bandwidth would be a measurement of how much data can be transferred over a specific connection in a given amount of time.

There are 3 steps you can take to improve your Wi-Fi experience even if there is a limited amount of bandwidth at the RV park. I call it “Improving the P.O.D.” P.O.D. means Power, Obstructions, and Distance. If you can make any improvements in these areas, then your experience will be more positive with the RV park’s Wi-Fi. Let’s say you pull into a RV park, and they put you in a spot that is 100 yards away from the access point. This is a long way for your internal Wi-Fi adapter in your tablet to try to connect. Can you improve the distance? This one is simple, as you just ask the RV park to be placed closer to the Wi-Fi access point in the park. Either they can do it or they can’t, but you won’t know until you ask. What about the “O” in P.O.D.? We need to decrease the obstructions that are between you and the access point. Have you ever had a bad park Wi-Fi experience in your RV, and then you stepped outside of your RV and things got better? This is because you were trying to connect to the access point through the walls of your RV, and this is not always doable. Maybe you could move by a window or plan to check emails outside. How about obstructions that are outside, like trees, bushes, or other RVs? These can all present issues, and if there is a way to decrease the obstructions between you and the access point, then you will increase your strength of connectivity, and this can produce a better internet experience. Lastly, there is POWER! Remember, you are connecting to the access point in the RV park with the internal Wi-Fi adapter in your devices. These internal adapters are not designed to connect to an access point from a great distance away. How dare Apple and Android not manufacture their smart phones to cater to the RV crowd! J It would cost them a lot more money to put a stronger Wi-Fi adapter in these devices, and for now that is not an option for them. There is one device that can give you more power, thus diminishing the distance issue, and you can eliminate most obstruction issues with the same device. This device is a Wi-Fi booster. In effect, a Wi-Fi booster can give you more transmission power and receiving power from you to the local access point. These devices happen to be the best selling device that TechnoRV has, and it is not a surprise. These Wi-Fi boosters can increase your transmission power and receive power to the access point by 15 times! Also, many of these boosters operate from an antenna that you would have outside of your RV, and hopefully with some height as well, so guess what we just did? By putting the antenna outside and up high, we also take care of most issues regarding obstructions being in the way. The TechnoRV Camp Pro Kit with Suction Cup Mount is our most popular kit. The Wi-Fi booster means you can capture a Wi-Fi signal from a further distance and still have a great experience.

Now that you know the 3 steps you can take to increase your internet connection, let’s get back to the issue of streaming TV. There is one more thing that you can do to give you a better chance at streaming TV: give up the high definition picture! Most streaming services default to a high definition picture quality, and a higher quality picture requires more bandwidth to operate. If you find yourself streaming a movie with non-stop buffering or the screen freezes and pixelates, then you may be closer than you think to a better experience. If you don’t have access to more bandwidth, then the only other option is to decrease the amount of bandwidth needed to view the movie. If you simply change your picture quality from high definition to standard definition then you may be able to watch that same movie with no issues. It is all a work in progress, and every situation can be different, but these are practical steps you can take to improve your experience. Netflix, for example, defaults to high definition video quality. You can reduce the quality of the picture within Netflix, and this may be all that is needed to prevent buffering. Tami wrote an article a while back on how to change the Netflix setting and you can check that out here. For services like Hulu, YouTube, and others, you can do a quick Google search to learn how to change the video quality settings.

To summarize, remember, you can improve the POD (Power, Obstructions, Distance) by making physical changes to your location, and/or by getting a Wi-Fi booster. In addition, if you are on the edge of a good video experience on the parks Wi-Fi, then consider decreasing the picture quality. You will barely notice the difference in the picture quality and it certainly beats a movie buffering during the best scene!

A tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) is an electronic system that gives you the ability to see specific data about your tires while in motion. There are a few points of data that are the leading indicators of tire failure, and if you have a monitoring system that gives you this information in real time then you can avoid certain troubles.

First, a TPMS will give you the PSI of each tire on your RV, tow vehicle, travel trailer, or whatever vehicle you have. The second piece of data that a good system will give you is the temperature of each tire position. If either of these points of data gets out of your specification, then the monitoring system would alarm you so that you can get off of the road and resolve the issue before it becomes a bigger issue. Driving a motorhome or a truck that is pulling a trailer can be a great experience, but it can turn bad quickly if there is tire failure.

A TPMS works by placing a small sensor on each tire valve stem. These sensors will simply screw on the threads of your existing valve stems; installation is easy. Each sensor is programmed to a particular tire position. This system then transmits the data of each tire to a monitor that sits with the driver. The driver can see the data of each tire at a quick glance, and if there are any issues with the tires then the system will alarm you. A monitoring system should allow you to set your own parameters that you want to be alarmed at, and of course it should alarm if there is a rapid pressure loss. There are a lot of brands on the market such as Tire Minder, TST, EEZ tire and more. As full time RVers, we have tested many systems and hands down the best on the market is the TST TPMS.

TechnoRV only sells the TST brand, as we have tested them and use them ourselves with great success. TST uses high quality GE circuitry, double insulated sensors, the display shows the temp and PSI on the same screen, and the monitor auto-scrolls so you can see the data without having to push buttons while driving. TST offers both cap sensors and flow thru sensors, and all sensors have anti-theft components. We have put over 25,000 miles on our TST system with absolutely no issues.

The TST 507 Cap Sensor is only 1 inch tall by 1 inch wide and has sturdy brass threads. The sensor weighs in at only 13 grams, so no balancing of your tires is necessary. The sensor has a user replaceable battery (CR1632) that should be changed about once every year.

You can get batteries at TechnoRV, and you can also watch battery changing videos on TechnoRV’s YouTube channel. The cap sensor is double insulated, and has an anti-theft component. Because of the anti-theft measure, you simply use a provided tool to put the sensor on the valve stem, and if someone tries to remove the sensor without the proper tool the sensor will just spin. The cap sensor easily screws onto the valve stem of any tire and broadcasts the PSI and temperature to the TST monitor. The sensor is pressure activated, not motion activated; this means as soon as you turn on the monitor, it will start broadcasting data. The anti-theft component can be removed to make the sensor only ¾ of an inch. Without the anti-theft component, you can put the sensor on and off with just your fingers. The 507 cap sensor cap be used with any type valve stem. If you are using aluminum valve stems then be sure to use some anti-seize lube on the threads of the stem to prevent the brass and aluminum from seizing together; this will not occur with other types of metal.

The TST Flow Thru Sensor is 2 inches long and 1 inch wide, and weighs in at only 17 grams, so no balancing of the tire is necessary when you add these either. The flow thru sensor allows you to air up your tires thru the sensor, without taking the sensor off of the valve stem. The sensor has sturdy brass threads and comes with a user replaceable battery. The battery needs to be changed about once every year and uses the same CR1632 battery as the cap.

The flow thru sensor can only be used on metal valve stems; do not use on rubber valve stems as the extra length can create too much stress on the rubber. The flow thru sensor has a anti-theft screw that locks the sensor to the valve stem. The flow thru sensor easily screws onto the metal valve stem of any tire and broadcasts the PSI and temperature to the TST monitor. The sensor is pressure activated, not motion activated, this means as soon as you turn on the monitor it will start broadcasting data.

Which sensors do we recommend?

TechnoRV recommends cap sensors for tow vehicles and smaller towables. Usually cars and smaller towables will have rubber valve stems and shallower wheels so the lower profile cap sensors are better for this. The flow thru sensors are great on larger RV tires that have metal valve stems and deeper wheels. You can mix and match these sensors; for example, we use flow thru sensors on our motorhome and cap sensors on our tow vehicle. The only other thing to consider is whether or not you need a signal booster for the sensors. The signal booster is called a repeater. Generally speaking, if you are over 35 feet in length, then you need to add the repeater to help boost the signal from the back sensors to the monitor.

Why do you need a TPMS for your RV?

Tire failure can end a family trip in an instant. Tire failure can cause a great deal of damage to your RV, and the safety of you and your passengers would immediately be at risk if there was a failure.

Truck and travel trailer or 5th wheel – Towables are not known for their quality of tires that come from the manufacturer. Proper tire pressure is crucial for ensuring that the load you are carrying is done so safely. Each tire manufacturer will tell you the proper tire pressure for the load you are putting on the tires. The problem with towables is that the driver can have a blow out on the travel trailer and not even know it. There are countless stories of RVers that did not know they had a failure until someone pulled up to them and told them. Once the tire starts to come apart then it will certainly cause damage to the underside of any towable, and the repair bills will start to pile up. This is the one set up that I cringe the most when I see someone without a TPMS. From the smallest pod to the largest 5th wheel, these are the RVers that should be lined up to get a TPMS system.

Motorhome with or without a tow vehicle – Large or small, motorhomes are heavy. Everything is riding on the tires and when you add a tow vehicle you have doubled the potential problems. Just like the towables, you can have a tow car tire failure and not even know it. We have even heard stories of tire failure that was left unidentified until it literally caught the car on fire. You just can’t take the chance of not knowing what is going on with your tires.

If you have a TPMS, then you would be notified of the leading indicators of future tire failure which is high or low PSI, and temperature increases. Low tire pressure is the enemy to the life of a tire. Low pressure causes more heat on the tire and high heat can ultimately cause tire failure. Extended periods of low PSI will certainly decrease the life of your tires. So, a TPMS can not only notify you of potential tire failure to come, but can also increase the life of your tire by ensuring you are at the proper PSI at all times. In addition, proper tire pressure can lead to better fuel mileage, which is the added bonus. Whether you are a full-time RVer or a weekender, a TPMS can save your tires and prevent a great time from turning into a nightmare.

“Do you drink water from the city water in RV parks?” This question in an RV Facebook group recently received over 100 responses. We put them in categories based on the highest level of filtering that each response represented. Here are the results from 133 people:

Only 17% of the RVers who replied drink water straight from the water supply without filtering. Almost twice as many (32%) use some type of filter before they drink the water in their RV. The largest group (38%) buy bottled water for drinking and/or cooking and pets.

So let’s look at the cost of the most selected options. Obviously the least expensive option is to drink water straight from the water supply with no filter, but the majority of RVers believe the water should be filtered in some way before drinking.

Hose Filters

So what does it cost to use a hose filter? One of the most popular hose filters is the Camco Taste Pure. This filter costs about $30 with a hose protector. Replacement filters run about $8 each after that. Camco suggests replacing the filters after about 3 months’ use, so one would expect to use 4 per year if they full time. This would cost about $55 for one year. Sounds affordable, right? Before you decide on this option, it is important when looking at water filters to look at their micron rating, and the Camco TastePure has a 100 micron rating.

Micron Ratings

Micron ratings let you know the size of the openings in the filter. The larger the number, the more it allows through. As a point of reference, bacteria range from 0.2 to 2 microns in width/diameter and 1 to 10 microns in length. Viruses range from 0.004 to 0.1 microns. Insecticides can be 0.5 to 10 microns, and mold ranges from 10 to 30 microns. A 100 micron filter will not be able to filter any of these from the water; most will pass right through. Be aware when a filter says it can reduce things or whether it eliminates it to a certain percentage. Both mean very different things. Filters with smaller micron ratings reduce water flow, so it makes sense that a high micron filter would be used at the water spigot. But what about when it comes into the RV? Based on the responses from the post, several RVers choose to add another level of protection for their drinking water once it enters the RV: a pitcher water filter.

Pitcher Filter

By using a pitcher filter, such as Zero, Pur, or Brita, you add another level of filtering with a much lower micron rating therefore eliminating far more from your water. These pitchers are in the $35 range with replacement filters costing close to $6. Most recommend replacing the filter after 40 gallons. This adds up to per gallon of filtered water costing around $0.15. I would recommend doing research on the specific pitcher you use as to what it can actually eliminate from the water.

Bottled Water

Bottled water is a very popular choice for drinking water, and not just for RVs. Many people only drink bottled water even when in their houses. Not all bottled water is the same though, and many brands have been tested to be equivalent to plain tap water.

Still, it is a common solution for RVers that want a consistent water supply. You can get a 40-pack of Nestle Pure Life bottled water (a top brand) for about $4.50. This contains a little over 5 gallons of water with each gallon costing close to $1.25 per gallon. (A 40-pack also weighs about 40 pounds.) Another popular bottled water, Evian, can run as much as $13 at Sam's, and that is only for 12 bottles! This would make a gallon of Evian water cost $5.50!

Now, to save money, you can buy bottled water by the gallon jugs which run closer to $1.00, and even refill your own water containers from the Primo Reverse Osmosis station at Walmart for as little as $0.33 per gallon.

Reverse Osmosis

Reverse Osmosis is becoming a popular way to filter water, and was one of the “other filters” reported on the post. Combined with UV lighting, it can remove the majority of all impurities. There are some negative thoughts on Reverse Osmosis as it also removes beneficial minerals from the water, like calcium and magnesium. Some research suggests that long term use of exclusively reverse osmosis water could negatively affect your health.

Berkey Filter

Two Facebook responders said they used the Berkey Water Filter in their RV for drinking water. The Berkey filter is the most effective gravity fed water filter on the market in removing bacteria, pharmaceuticals, viruses, and more. It consists of a stainless steel canister which includes 2 Black Berkey filtering elements. You can add 2 fluoride filters to the system which work to remove arsenic as well. Each of the 2 Black Berkey filters purify 3,000 gallons of water, so the 2 together filter up to 6,000 gallons of water before needing to be replaced. If you filter 2 gallons of water every day, the filter will last over 8 years. Therefore, at a price of $230 for an entire setup, Berkey filtered water comes in at a little less than $0.04 per gallon.

What do we use?

So what filter(s) do we use? Our RV came with a standard water filter as a lot of RVs do. We left this filter in place just to keep larger particulates from entering our water lines. This water is used for showers, washing dishes, and washing clothes.

We use the Berkey filter for all other water: cooking, drinking, and pet water. We figured if we spent only $5 per week in bottled water, we would pay for the Berkey in less than 1 year. (We were actually spending far more than $5 per week for water, so we paid for ours in less time.) Berkey water is the cleanest, best tasting water we’ve ever had, and we don’t drink anything else. We each have a reusable water bottle, and we keep a container of cold Berkey water in the refrigerator. Because it is gravity-fed, it can be moved from the RV to a home, vacation rental, or anywhere else you want to use it. It is actually capable of purifying pond water (though we haven’t done this), and is used by the Red Cross in disaster relief areas and third world countries who do not have safe drinking water. We have been in situations where we are not connected to water and use whatever free water source we can find (think random spigots) for the Berkey while saving the water in the tank for showers, etc. It can add days to our stay without costing anything.

Before you decide

When deciding on a water filter, consider this: It doesn’t matter how many times you filter your water; repetition alone does not ensure anything. If you filter your water through 3 separate filters, but the smallest micron of any of them is 10, you aren’t getting as clean of water as someone who filters only once through a filter with a rating of 5. As an example, just think if you had 3 fish nets and each had different sized holes in the net. If you drop 100 minnows into the net with the smallest holes, that is the best it is going to get. Dropping the minnows into the other two nets with bigger holes beforehand will do you no good.

The Berkey is by far one of our 3 top favorite things in the RV, and one we could not live without. We know of an RVer that downsized from a Class A to a van, and even when their space was at a premium, their Berkey made the cut. Once you’ve owned one, no other water will do. As for the one respondent that only drinks beer, cheers my friend! Hope to meet you down the road one day!